Mayor Raised Most Money for 2 Elections in Redondo

Redondo Beach Mayor Brad Parton raised $52,500--including $33,800 in loans from himself--in two campaigns for the city’s top elective post earlier this year, according to final campaign disclosure statements filed this week.

Parton’s total, which included cash donations ranging from $100 to $500, was the highest among candidates in the March 7 general and May 16 runoff elections. The mayor, who spent $47,534, listed the loans to himself as unpaid debt. Counting non-monetary contributions he declared as part of the total raised, his campaign account was left with $658.

Parton’s largest contribution was $3,500 in printing expenses donated by the Southern California Caucus, which he described as a group of conservative business people.

Although high for most citywide elections in recent memory, Parton’s campaign total was dwarfed by the $157,900 collected by Bruce Unruh in his unsuccessful bid for city treasurer in 1987.

Frank Bostrom, Parton’s opponent in the runoff, raised $7,727 in the races, which are included in the campaign statements covering the period from Feb. 19 to June 30. Bostrom spent $10,492. He also reported receiving loans of $1,684, and finished the campaign with a debt of about $4,925. He listed no individual donations. Contributions of less than $100 do not have to be reported.

The campaign statements covering the final reporting period--April 30 through June 30--were to have been postmarked or delivered by Monday.

In the races for City Council seats, Councilwoman Kay Horrell raised the most--$28,278. That total included printing and label expenses worth $8,379 paid by the Southern California Caucus, based in Los Angeles. She spent $27,353 and was left with $1,421. Her statement showed no cash or other non-monetary contributions of $100 or more. She reported $3,100 in loans from herself.

Mike Ford, Horrell’s opponent in the May runoff for the District 2 seat, raised $3,640, spent $3,495, and was left with $143. Businessman Greg Diete, who contributed $125, was the only donor listed.

In the District 4 runoff, Councilman Terry Ward raised $10,397 and spent $10,099, winding up with $298 left over. The only individual contributions were $500 from Self-Storage Management Co. of Los Angeles and $250 from the Income Property Political Action Committee of Long Beach.

A U.S. District Court ruled earlier this year in Sacramento that candidates may use money raised for one of their races for a subsequent campaign by them for a different office.

Ward’s opponent, school board member Valerie Dombrowski, had not filed her report by Thursday.

Councilwoman Barbara Doerr, who won the District 1 seat in the May election, raised $4,111, including a loan of $950 from herself. She spent $5,190, and $641 of her loan was covered, leaving her campaign with about $300 in debt.

Her opponent, former Councilman John Chapman, raised $17,549 and spent $16,887. He loaned $1,100 to himself and reported six individual cash donations totaling $2,400. The largest were $750 from Nova Construction Co. of Gardena, $500 from Engineering Technology of Sherman Oaks and $400 from Ronald J. Morrison of Long Beach.

Parton’s largest cash contribution was $500 Self-Storage Management Co. His other contributors included: Income Property Political Action Committee, California Republican Assembly of Palos Verdes Peninsula and California Young Republicans of Lemon Grove, $250 each.

Contributors of $200 each were: A. Cherbak, a retired Redondo Beach U.S. Navy captain; Building Industry Assn. of Los Angeles and Torrance contractor Dan Butcher. Parton received $100 each from: Peter Maheu, a Redondo Beach private investigator; Web Service Co., a coin laundry in Redondo Beach; Joe Ferrero, a computer salesman in Manhattan Beach, and Robert and Leslie Hamilton of Pacific Palisades.

Former Councilman Archie Snow, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor in March, was hospitalized with a lung ailment last weekend and had not filed his report by Thursday.